


Ideal Date Nights

by Cân Cennau (gwenynnefydd)



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Dates, F/M, Flowers, Fluff, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prompt Fill, Referenced Past Trauma, comm: middleagedships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 13:25:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17808788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenynnefydd/pseuds/C%C3%A2n%20Cennau
Summary: prompt: I'd love to see any of the canon couples (or hinted-at couples) in TNG or DS9 going on an ideal date for one or a compromise for both. One of the fun things I find about most of the pairings mentioned is that the characters have to negotiate one another's differences. Something to explore and celebrate that would be lovely!prompted on themiddleagedshipsDW comm.





	Ideal Date Nights

Kira could not remember why she had agreed to come to Ashalla's Botanical Gardens in the first place. She'd heard that they'd recently gotten some new plants, and Bareil had asked her along on a date to see them. Bareil wasn't with her now, having practically bounced to go and see some variants of some shrub or another, leaving Kira to try and navigate her way out of what seemed to be a maze of _moreka_ and _salam_ grass. It was not a fun maze to escape from - Kira's nerves made her jumpy, and the tall grass reminded her too much of the wild grass plains she'd had to crawl through during the Occupation. With every turn, she half expected to see the end of a phaser, or a Cardassian attached with a cruel smile, or even one of the nastier creatures that lived in the Bajoran wilderness. Her anxiety was not helped by the noise of the gardens - in another section, Kira could hear the shrieking birds that were kept near the _jumja_ trees, and the voices from other patrons were vague, menacing murmurs muffled by the grass. Kira shook her head, and willed her breathing to slow and her heart to calm down. _Keep it together, Major..._  
  
As she turned a corner, she felt a hand on her elbow, and she yelped in fear. Heart ricocheting in her chest, she whirled around to face her assailant. Her hand went straight to where her phaser was before she was even aware of it, but she stopped herself from drawing it, coming back to herself. Bareil was a step away, hands up, his expression showing concern and worry. Kira exhaled, hard - she was safe. It was just Bareil.  
  
"Nerys?" Bareil approached her once he was certain she was not about to shoot him. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Antos," she said quickly, forcing herself to relax. "I'm sorry. Hiding in the grass just... brings back bad memories."  
  
Bareil looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry too - I didn't mean to stay in this section so long. Come, lets go this way..."  
  
Very gently, Bareil took her arm again, and guided her towards a more open space. The tall walls of _moreka_ and _salam_ grass gave way to raised beds of small shrubs and tiny flowering plants - a nursery, Kira noted. Bareil still looked worried about her, but Kira gave him a smile, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  
  
"I'm alright," she murmured. "You can go and explore."  
  
Bareil paused for a moment, thinking, but he nodded, and moved off down the rows of flora. Kira followed, smiling at Bareil's clear enthusiasm at all the plants available for him to admire. _This was why I agreed to come,_ Kira thought, _I like seeing him like this._  
  
"I hear they're trying to grow _alvas_ here," Kira said, for want of something to say. "I suppose you'd come here every day if they'd succeed."  
  
"I _do_ like _alvas_ ," Bareil immediately turned away from the flower he was examining, and grinned at her. "But I'd come every day just to see how they managed to grow them. Did you know I tried growing _alvas_ once?"  
  
"At the monastery?"  
  
"Mmm. I didn't succeed - the berries grew small and bitter, and the monks were very annoyed that the vines had climbed up the walls."  
  
"That's a shame."  
  
"It made a nice gin, though. I still have a bottle left." Almost without Kira noticing, Bareil curled one arm around Kira's waist, and he slowly brought them to a halt. "If you'd like to come to dinner tonight, we can share it."  
  
Kira kissed him in reply, and despite her earlier reservations about being here, she couldn't deny that kissing Bareil here, in the midst of all these flowers, was kind of romantic. Bareil seemed to agree, and after they broke apart, he held them close, forehead to forehead. The gesture was warm and comforting, and Kira felt like she could easily drift off in the comfort of Bareil's arms.  
  
"I did have something I wanted to show you," Bareil murmured, almost as if afraid to break the moment. "May I?"  
  
They parted reluctantly, but not for long - within a second, Bareil took her hand, and together they walked towards a small plant near one of the walls. The plant was fairly bushy, with olive-green leaves, a waxy texture, and delicate little purple blooms. This one Kira recognized immediately - Bajoran lilac, her mother's favourite flower, and hers too. Very gently, Bareil picked up a fallen bloom, and tucked it behind Kira's ear.  
  
"Lilac," he smiled. "Your favourite. It suits you, I think."  
  
"I don't wear flowers much," Kira laughed, a little self-conscious.  
  
"You should - you look wonderful wearing them."  
  
Bareil pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Kira closed her eyes, contented.


End file.
